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The movement is worth fighting for: Moist to deliver a strong message to CAW

OTTAWA, June 10 /CNW Telbec/ - The national president of Canada's largest
public sector union will deliver a message of solidarity to delegates at the
Canadian Auto Workers 2008 Bargaining and Political Action conference, taking
place this week in Toronto.
After a visit to the CAW line at the GM Canada headquarters in Oshawa
Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 a.m., Moist will speak to convention delegates at
11:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen Street West. Here, CUPE's
national president and a vice-president of the CLC will pledge the full
support of CUPE members from coast to coast to stem the tide of job losses in
the auto and other manufacturing sectors of Canada's economy.
Here are the key points that Moist will cover:
On General Motors:
"You can't sign a deal, renege on it three weeks later, shut down one of
the most productive plants in North America and expect workers to sit back and
take it without a fight."
On mutual CAW/CUPE support:
"You were CUPE's strongest private sector ally during the Harris years.
More recently your economist, Jim Stanford, has been a strong supporter of
public services as a member of the City of Toronto's Blue Ribbon panel. You
generously welcome locked-out Journal de Quebec Workers at a conference
earlier this year CUPE will be there for you as we were with you in Windsor,
in Ottawa and often in the past."
On Trade Deals:
"Two decades into the free trade era it is clear that workers are losing
out now," says Moist, "Harper is negotiating new FTAs with Columbia and Korea.
Our government should not be in trade talks with a regime that murders trade
unionists or with a country that wants unfettered access to the North American
auto market, but runs a closed shop back home. Harper should sit down with
labour and begin to talk about an industrial strategy for the 21st century
that puts workers first, ahead of corporate tax cuts and phony free trade
deals!"
On Labour Unity:
"We need to be together, stick together. As a Labour Movement we cannot
afford not to support one another despite our differences. Our movement is
worth fighting for."
Quoting Bob White: ""It is not the debate that will hurt us-it's the
silence."
When Moist visits the Oshawa line Wednesday morning: "We will be with you
and we will work with you to defeat those who refuse to help you. Maybe we
should start by giving Conservative MPs Colin Carrie and Jim Flaherty a taste
of unemployment in the next federal election."